Calf Love
by tiloola
Summary: When Gen/Eugenides first see's Attolia dancing under the Orange tree, and what else happened that night. When he first met her, but she doesn't know who he is, but he still loves her, and maybe she loves him to


_Disclaimer: Not my characters or anything really. Just my story, and my words. All credit goes to the most inspiring Authoress: Meagan Whalen Turner. _

_Alrighties this IS my first fan-fic. I did my best because I know how much it sucks reading a bad fan-fic. Comments are very welcome, the more the better, I hope to get a little better at this and start submitting better fan-fics, It'll just take time. Anyways, This is before the Thief or the Queen of Attolia or King of Attolia takes place, when Gen sees Attolia for the first time he can really remember. Just a short cute little thing. Yeah I know this couldn't really have happened, but I thought it was a good idea. Thanks for reading_

_Tiloola/Laura/Tiloo/Ziggy/LaLa/Bowie/Davina/Coxy/Little Coxy/Foxy/Ezi and any other nickname i bear_

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She was dancing below him as he sat in the orange tree. Gen watched her as the muffled music from inside the palace played. She was alone, but he could see the people that she imagined dancing around her. What was it about the way she moved that made her so perfect? The way her hair danced around her, her skirts flowing, all melded together to be so perfect.

Eugenides longed to join her, to be the person that she imagined herself dancing with.

The muffled song from inside faded, and the princess of Attolia stopped she sat, leaning against the orange tree breathing heavily.

Gen sat perfectly still; now that the music ended she was not lost in her world of welcoming friends and loving family. He knew that the reality she faced was so much harsher. That her brother had died, and that had been the only person she was close to, that her father had just betrothed her to an older man, that no one cared for her beyond the duties of a guard or a servant. That no one cared for her as he cared for her.

What was it about her that he cared for so much? She was beautiful, but that had no factor. Was she a demon from hell that had such a power to force him to care for her so much? That must have been it, because as he watched her, she was more captivating then any other person he had ever seen. She was a demon and he had fallen under her spell.

'Irene!' a voice called, a woman, likely a personal servant.

'Coming,' the princess called, she stood, and ran indoors.

'Your fiancé wishes to meet you Irene, you should not hide from your future husband.'

Gen's insides turned with hatred for the man he had never met. Had he fallen under the demon's spell as well? Or was she being forced to marry him do to civic duty?

Gen hopped silently down from the tree. 'Irene,' he whispered, turning over the princess's name. Even her name sounded perfect.

He wanted to see her one last time, to see her face closer, to have her talk to him. He would see her one last time before leaving, he didn't want to be involved with her anymore, he shouldn't let her stretch her power over him, but just one last time couldn't hurt.

He followed Irene through the door to the massive room. Spinning figures locked in dance span around him. Gen's eyes sought out the princess, but couldn't see her; he wove through the figures to the other side of the room. He spotted Irene speaking with a tall man of obvious position, perhaps a baron. Irene watched him, her face a stone. She smiled but even that was cold.

The man took her hand and kissed it. Standing he still held her hand and kissed her on either cheek. He led her into the dance. Gen watched with jealousy, he knew the man was her fiancé. He stepped away from the dancing figures to lean against the wall his eyes never leaving Irene and her future husband.

Once as she turned, their eyes locked and her emotions showed through her stone mask. She was trapped, alone and scared and Gen would have done anything to save her.

'Damn it,' he muttered, just seeing her again had made him think of laying down his life to get her away from the serpent of a man.

The dance ended, Irene pulled away from the man and walked through the crowed. The man shook his head and went to consult Irene's father, the King of Attolia.

Gen followed the demon princess, till he caught up with her. He grabbed her hand and she turned, anger flashing in her eyes.

'Um sorry,' he said quickly letting go.

She looked him up and down, her face resuming its mask, 'yes?' she asked, her voice smooth and emotionless.

'I was wondering if I might dance with you,' politeness etched in his voice.

Irene let out a dry laugh, 'and what would a _boy_ know about dancing?'

'Let me show you,' he took her hand, and for a brief moment her mask fell, he saw on her face fear, but at the same time maybe compassion, as well as interest.

He led her away from the dance floor to the stairs and onto the roof and into the cool night air.

She took a deep breath and said, 'what are you doing boy. I could have you arrested and chained, have your hands cut off and your body hung till dead, if you are planning any trickery.'

'Don't worry, in Eddis, if I dance on the roof, then any partner I choose will not fall… that doesn't mean _I_ can't fall to my death.' He thought bitterly of his mother's death.

She smiled her stony smile, 'and if I dance on the roof?'

'I don't know it probably only works in Eddis.'

He grabbed her hand and spun her in time to the music playing below.

She span back to him and he caught her, there steps perfectly balanced.

'I told you I am a good dancer,' Gen smiled.

She just stared impassively back at him.

After a few more steps she said 'are you Edisian then?'

Gen smiled and nodded.

They span together in perfect unison and Eugenides dipped Irene over the edge of the roof. He felt her grip tighten and she glared up at him.

He pulled her away spun once and the dance ended.

'I told you I wouldn't let you fall,' he said smiling.

She smiled back, letting her true emotion show through.

'How many people have you danced with on the roof then?' she asked still smiling.

'Excluding my mother… you're the first. I had no idea if Edisian traditions or beliefs would hold up here. I felt confident that the gods wouldn't drop you though.

Irene's smile disappeared instantly, 'they already have, they have dropped me into an unfamiliar world full of hate, and back stabbing where there is no comfort and no love.'

She sat, and Gen looked down at her, surprised she had let so much of herself be shown to him.

'You are the first person to talk to me as me, and not as a playing peace for my nation,' she said as Gen sat next to her.

'To everyone I have no emotion, and I am just here to be used to make sure a suitable king rises. My fiancé,' she spat the words out 'calls me his shadow queen. Says I have a long face and looks like a horse, that my only beauty comes from my use to him, that I can make him king. He plots to kill my father, I know it.'

Gen saw the tears glistening on her cheek and he wiped them away, 'princess, you are gorgeous, beautiful beyond any other goddess. You are smart, make use of it, don't let your fiancé rule your country, let him no you are queen and he is your king, not the other way around.'

'I would rather poison my cup then marry this swine of a man,' Irene said.

Gen put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, 'don't let him rule you, my queen, make him serve you.'

'You called me Queen, I'm not queen yet boy.'

'Yes but you will be, and you will be the most ruthless and the most beautiful queen in the history of Attolia,' Gen whispered.

She smiled at him, 'what makes you care for me so much? You are just a stranger, and young boy and someone I will likely never see again.'

'When I saw you dancing with that man, I felt nothing but hatred for him because of what he is putting you through, you never told me, he never said it. But I could tell, by the way you danced with him, by the way you turned your head away from him at every moment.'

Irene smiled at him, 'would you loyally serve me then? To get me away from this man.'

'Of course my queen,' Gen said, damn what was he doing? He was giving into the demon's spell.

'So long as I never fall behind your bars, and so long as the beautiful, clever queen of Attolia rules.'

She smiled at him, her gratitude showing through. 'I don't know what has inspired me to tell you how I feel. You are but a boy, and so innocent you should not understand the politics of a country.'

'I'd probably understand better then you think my Queen,' Gen said.

She smiled, 'it would appear so. Maybe I sought comfort and you gave it to me. I have never felt so close, open or comforted, by any one person.'

'My Queen, poison your cup to relieve yourself of your husband, on your wedding night put the poison in your cup, pretend to drink but do not let any of the wine pass your lips. Then when your husband finishes his drink offer him yours, he will accept and drink the poison. From there you shall assert yourself as the Queen of Attolia. Be ruthless and clever, beautiful and cunning.'

'Why should an Edisian want me to be happy? Why should you want Attolia to flourish?'

'Because I can't bear to see you trapped in the clutches of such a cruel world.'

They were silent, they listened to the chatter and the music below them and watched the stars.

Gen turned towards Irene and said, 'My queen. Why should you tell me the way you feel?'

'Why shouldn't I? I don't know why, but when I see you, when I danced with you I felt compassion I had not felt in since I don't know how long. And when you held me above the edge of the roof, you could have let me fall. You could have extinguished my life and plunged Attolia in to turmoil and left it to Sounis or the Medes to take, but you didn't, you pulled me back, and I knew you would.'

She turned to look at him, the star light shining in her eyes, 'If I can not at least trust one person then my life is an empty shell, a dried patch of soil with a seed but no water. I thought maybe, you could be that one person.'

'I am, my Queen, I shall be what you need me to be. A soldier, an adviser, a servant… your lover,' and he kissed her on her perfect lips.

He felt her shock, but she kissed him back.

'Irene!' Someone shouted, a man this time. Gen stood and pulled his Queen up. 'I must go, but only call for me and I shall be by your side my Queen. Whether it is because someone poisoned your cup or because you need comfort.'

'What is going on! Who is this impertinent young boy? Irene Answer me!'

Gen kissed her again briefly on her lips, 'I am sorry my Queen. I did not mean to let you fall into trouble, but be strong, and out wit your enemies.'

He turned and ran for the edge.

'Stop him,' the man yelled. But Gen was already over the edge.

'Wait!' Irene shouted, 'I never got your name.'

She ran to the edge, but no one was there, no broken body on the ground below no sign of a human form clinging to the edge.

'Irene! Get over here.'

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That night, as Gen lay down to sleep, he thought only of Irene, her beauty, and how much loved her

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_Hope you enjoyed_ ^_^


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